1955 to 1959 Chevy GMC Truck Dash Removal

I made this for the person buying the dash. Things are a lot different with the roof still on!

[@8172008]

I learned something rather profound while taking a "Machine Technology" course at Lower Columbia College in Longview, WA, in 1997-98. Our teacher said, "use cutting oil for cutting, and use lubricating oil for lubricating". I didn't admit it out loud, but that explained to me why, after so many years, my drill bits would squeal so much while trying to drill a hole. (I was always using a lubricating oil) I guess that's why he was the "instructor" and I was the "student". :-)

[@8172008]

+ElderlyIron OOOOOOPS!!!! I totally forgot about that part :--)

[@crazypainter57]

that hole saw bit is very common in body shops.....i have used and wore out or broken hundreds of them....it helps to drill a 1/8 pilot hole first to prevent walk and breakage

[@hettinger1000]

Good show Jeff. While watching you work the grinder with the cutoff wheel I was reminded of the time I was doing something similar and the wheel caught and went to pieces. The cut on my lower hand that took 13 stiches didn't hurt as much as the chunk hitting it at 4500 RPM's. I still do this quite a bit but I use heavy gloves. Course, I've never had one break since then either. Thanks for sharing.

[@robertclark2714]

I had a good friend that had a grinder wheel come apart and it went in his eye. He drove himself to the hospital and died. He left two boys and a wife without life insurance!!! I think each time and I think twice when I use tools and rotating equipment. Vietnam made me realize that none of us are ten feet tall and bullet proof. Proper PPE helped get me to my 70's.

[@RosaStringWorks]

Mission accomplished. I like to say, "it's simple, but complicated." Good vid brother.

[@MrOlderandwiser]

Jeff, I've been a fan of yours for some time. I have to tell you that i appreciate the fact that you don't use "off color" language on your videos. Apparently you have a great deal of self control, as far as patience is concerned. I have been a "mechanic" for many years, with experience at new car dealerships and independent shops. I now have my own "1 man" repair shop. Thanks for all of the work you do to get these videos posted, they are a breath of fresh air. Thanks Again!

[@amishpope]

I like the honesty in your videos. Plenty of good tips and things to learn.

[@Rebel9668]

Get ya some Novus #2 polish and you can clear that face shield up enough to be able to see through it.

[@rdsledge]

Thanks Jeff keep them coming.

[@gilliland426]

great job Jeff, great job in deed my friend!

[@jime386]

old oil patch saying " If ya ain't bleedin', ya ain't tryin' " Good work 👍

[@leeholland7565]

Liking the videos jeff keep them coming mate.

[@Justintimemetal]

I love those cutters you tried that walked on you. You have to use a center punch to give that spring pin a place to stay. The cutters work way better than drills if you are doing a lot of holes.

[@elciscozamora]

About to do it to My dad's 59, Frame swap from a 98 burban . Cutting out the firewall and floor. Right now I'm removing all the wires

[@ElderlyIron]

Make sure to keep the cab mounts when you cut the floor out! I don't know your level of expertise, but you need to weld support braces in before you cut that much material out-of it!

[@wadehicks9270]

Great video as always

[@zx8401ztv]

That dash just didnt have a chance, you showed it whos boss, the wife he he :-D That center drill looked as sharp as butter :-)

[@johnnyholland8765]

You sir have the patience of Jobe..... Were it me I would have cursed, hacked, and chopped it into oblivion. Maybe some wealthy viewer will donate to you a plasma cutter. Really enjoy your videos so keep em coming. JHolland

[@ElderlyIron]

+Johnny Holland Plasma cutter would have taken out the shelf underneath it. Had this been the cab we were building, we wouldn't have anything to rest the dash on.

[@rogerj7327]

Hey there Jeff... I know this video is from a while back, but for drilling out spot welds I just use the Dewalt pilot point drill bits. They work just as well in my opinion and can be used for lots of other things too.

[@celsoguajardovillarreal]

excelente dando vida!!!. saludos.

[@weird1600]

it helps when using that type of spot weld cutter to canter punch and drill with a small bit eighth inch or so

[@Talisman-tb6vw]

I woulda used a center punch to give that springy thing something to line up with and so it doesn't walk on ya. But thats just an engineer talkin :P

[@99dsm1]

that's what that type of spot weld cutter is made to use with.

[@CerebusTV]

This was definitely a mad dash cam effort.

[@robertclark2714]

I put an idler arm on my Dad's Chrysler 300 in 1968. I have been around junk yards and body shops my whole life. I have NEVER seen anyone cut a dash out of a 57 or old 50's Chevy. I have a speedo' and a passenger dash insert from a 1955 Chevy Belair in my top box of my tool box. I would love to install it in my OBS F250 but it would be "sacrilegious"to do that to a Ford truck.

[@ElderlyIron]

It fetched a fair price!

[@GaryBoyd02]

Ha Jeff you buy tools the same way I do. Makita grinder with two spare disks 10 bucks.

[@geraldparker9305]

hi JEff I the guy are right ceter punching is the way to go also. you could grind in the recess for the glass an let whoever is changing trim it up if you don't need the firewall etc. like factory installed one side an the are cleaned up put it in. .like doing a quart panel there's two or there ways to do it. just a matter of how much time an quality you want to spend

[@cfook]

Jeff, if you are cutting a part out of a scrapper, why not, "overcut" and leave the part you want entirely whole with extra pieces, say one inch around, attached by just rough cutting the whole thing out? You can then fettle the part you want without the extra fab required when you reinstall it.

[@ElderlyIron]

+cfook Then you have to cut the dash to fit afterward. This way it's one time. The cuts you make here are the cuts you make in the other cab. All that remains is to dress the edges for mig welding and you're done.

[@ddocspeck]

Thank you for another nice video, sir ! Oddly enough, though, the goats and other farmyard animals showed no interest in assisting you this time. Hmm , feigned indifference, I wonder ?

[@mischef18]

Cool

[@quietmale00101]

how would you get a seized motor loose so you can remove the torque converter bolts from the flex plate

[@Drew6709]

I always hear the engineers don't know jack squat. Where as the welders are the ones who manufacture the items and cuss out engineers. lol. Either overbuilt or underbuilt.

[@tiitsaul9036]

these small holesaws need to spin fast to be effective. At slow speed, they can be hard to control and put too much torque and break them easy.

[@TERRYRONALDRACKLEY]

May help to drill a small pilot hole first to keep it from walking.

[@charlesdyer2376]

I may have missed something,so why cut the spot welds if ya cut the dash with the zizz wheel any hoo?

[@ElderlyIron]

+Charles Dyer To show both methods

[@charlesdyer2376]

ElderlyIron OK ya got me.

[@GrandsonofKong]

Wait..is that a new(to you) Makita Drill I see in your hands?

[@ElderlyIron]

+GrandsonofKong 5 bucks each. bought 2. with chargers

[@GrandsonofKong]

ElderlyIron WOW...excellent deal!

[@billknoderer8202]

Where can I get a door emblem for a 1955 Chevy 5400 LCF? It's the numbers 5400 in chrome.

[@marceltimmers1290]

Hi mate. I might be a monday morning quarterback, but why did you not just cut off that whole spot welded lip, and centre punch the spot welds. I think that you would have saved yourself some time. However, a lot of people will have enjoyed watching you. ; )

[@ElderlyIron]

+Marcel Timmers The cuts you make here are the cuts you make in the other cab. All that remains is to dress the edges for mig welding and you're done.

[@marceltimmers1290]

Ah, that makes sense

[@gordonmcmillan883]

Anything that works. I'd have used the grinder and cut the rest of it away from the complete dash, rather than cutting the dash out. 8-)

[@ElderlyIron]

+Gordon McMillan But then you can't see how to remove it from the truck you're saving!

[@gordonmcmillan883]

+ElderlyIron You cut that one out a piece at a time too, then trim to fit. 8-)

[@alancall5113]

you're supposed to drill a small Whole that is a spring loaded guide pin

[@1986FREIGHTSHAKERMAN]

That's a very nice - I also need more parts do you have a number I can reach you at

[@mauryherman1791]

Drill pilot holes first

[@fansdee-mastersensei1155]

12/08/1979/

[@mauriciomay1939]

Springeated!! ??

[@jaredmusick4739]

Where is jimmy blue

[@TheCramunhao666]

bom...

[@mwilliamshs]

I think you're beyond your depth here. center punch the spot welds first spin the cutter fast, not slow cutting the dash inside the pinch weld means you now have to weld it there too...creating more work and making an aesthetic result more of a challenge than if you'd cut outside the pinch weld instead. the donor cab is obviously scrap, so cut it, not the dash.

[@ElderlyIron]

+mwilliamshs The cuts you make here are the cuts you make in the other cab. All that remains is to dress the edges for mig welding and you're done. It nests right into the cowl to where you don't even hardly need to clamp it! The weld is covered by the windshield gasket, and then there's a trim over that as well. It's a whole lot faster than drilling out every spot of the pinch, grinding off the spots of the dash, welding each spot in the new cab and then grinding all of them down so the gasket seats on the pinch again.

[@wilecoyote2650]

for what you do, you are better off not having one, too much over thinking